


Drown in Me

by Brolinismerthur



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 15:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brolinismerthur/pseuds/Brolinismerthur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 10. Since his break-up with Vivian only a month before their wedding, and Uther being in the hospital, Arthur is drowning his sorrows in alcohol. All his friends had tried to help him, without success. Merlin is the waiter in the bar Arthur spends all his evenings in. (tweaked a tiny bit)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drown in Me

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Merlin_Writers January Theme: Drunk. I hope the anonymous prompter finds this to their liking :)  
> [Graphic](http://dylanobrolin.tumblr.com/post/74327806400/drown-in-me-rated-t-words-2425)

_ϟ_ _You have reached the Voice Mail inbox of_ Arthur Pend- _ϟ_

Morgana pressed the End Call button with a worried sigh. She’d already left 7 messages, the first three with sympathy and a warm tone and the last four with a growing impatience for her younger brother’s 13 year old emo ‘the world is against me’ mood. Then again, the world sort of _was_ against him.

Her mind ran wild with possible scenarios Arthur could be in. Images of Arthur huddled low in his navy blue duvet, with puffy eyes and sniffling nose, all the way to his limp body slouched in the gutter of god knows where, face down in his own bile with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

Morgana was pulled out of her terrible thoughts when her phone rang. One glance at Arthur’s name on the caller ID and the phone was pressed against her ear.

“Arthur?” She whispered, hopefully.

“Uh, no sorry.”

Morgana’s whole body tensed with worry at the unfamiliar voice on the other end.

“Who is this? Where’s Arthur?”

“He’s here! He’s fine...well...drunk off his arse, but fine.” The man must have covered the mic because Morgana heard muffled insults and a loud belch. "Oh, gross."

She sighed. Of course Arthur would drink his body weight in alcohol. Morgana was going to kill him for making her worry so much.

“Where is he?” Morgana shrugged her jacket on and left a note on the fridge for Leon and Mordred, telling them that she’ll be at Arthur’s.

“We’re here, at The Avalon.”

“I’m on my way,” her mothering skills kicked into high gear at the sound of Arthur’s pathetic attempts to snatch the phone away. _Viv- No. Morg...oh._

"I'm counting the seconds..."

\---

Merlin slid the phone across bar toward the drunken man, _Arthur_ , slouched on his stool.

“Your Morgana is on her way,” he sighed as he tossed his towel on the bar in front of him. His shift only started an hour ago and this is what he had to deal with tonight. _Remind me to dock Valiant for this._

Merlin had dealt with drunks before and most of them always ended up vomiting on the carpet, which Merlin thanked all the deities in the skies above, was not his job to clean. So, he’d managed to wrestle the phone out of Arthur’s grip and call the first person in the missed calls list, _Morgana (7)_. Merlin assumed she was the girlfriend and that Arthur had been avoiding her calls because either a) they’d had a fight, b) he had royally fucked up, or c) he had royally fucked up and was about to have a fight with Miss Girlfriend and instead of confronting her and his problem, he decided to drown his brain in the most expensive bottle of scotch the bar had to offer. Well...that’s _usually_ how it went anyway.

“Muh- hate you,” Arthur mumbled into the crook of his elbow.

“They always do,” Merlin rolled his eyes, as he dried a glass.

“Gimme ‘nother,” Arthur demanded, sliding the empty tumbler toward Merlin.

“No,” Merlin challenged, with a dangerously high eyebrow.

Arthur sat up straight, swaying a little on his stool, and tried to glare at Merlin through heavy lids and glossy eyes. He lifted a finger at Merlin and opened his mouth to say something probably along the lines of, ‘I’ll have you know, I’m So and So’s son, you have no right to deny _me_ , a _paying customer,_ a drink!” or “I wipe my arse with hundred dollar notes and flush them down in my gold plated toilet!” But instead, all that came out of his mouth was a hiccup, a rather adorable hiccup, making Merlin’s lips twitch, but he kept his face neutral.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Merlin shook his head and placed a glass of water in front of the man. “There you are, sir, a drink,” Merlin smirked. He’d thank Merlin in the morning. Arthur reached for it with a wobbly hand and gave an appreciative nod.

Just as Arthur placed the glass back down, Merlin saw the girlfriend striding her way toward them.

“Arthur?” Her voice was sweet mixed with impatience. Arthur looked up at the raven haired beauty, his brow furrowed and his mouth pulled down into a pout. Merlin thought he looked like kicked puppy.

“She left,” his voice cracked. His eyes wandered the space between them as if recalling the memory. “She’s gone.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Morgana pet his golden hair as he fell into her arms. Merlin averted his eyes and busied his hands with wiping down the bar to give them a moment.

“Excuse me?” He looked up Morgana’s voice. “Are you the one who called me?”

“Yes.”

“Well, thank you, and I’m sorry you had to deal with my brother,” she gave him a small smile and lead Arthur out of the bar.

Merlin couldn’t help but smile at their backs, watching as Arthur clung to his sister, her arm around his waist and his head on her shoulder.

\----

“I’m sorry, Morgana. I didn’t mean to worry you, especially not now.” Arthur was sitting up in his bed, with Morgana perched at the edge; she’d just placed a tray of food at his lap.

“It’s alright, Arthur. I understand.”

Arthur nodded. He was ashamed. He hadn’t meant to get that drunk, just have a glass or two of scotch to ease the pain, but then the waiter kept refilling his glass and six drinks later...well, you get the idea. Worst of all, he’d worried Morgana, on top of everything they’ve been going through, what with their father in hospital for a week, with no sign of recovery. Plus, she had her own family to care for. God, he really was acting like a...what did the barman call him? “ _A Prat. You know, a selfish, arrogant, annoying, I’m-better-than-you,_ Arsehole _. Capital A.”_ He’d deserved that. Arthur kept snapping his fingers for another drink and had threatened to get the boy sacked when he wouldn’t bring him one.

“Are the eggs really that interesting?” Morgana tried to joke. Her hand was on his knee, comforting but still a little weird. Ever since she became a mother she’s been very nice and nurturing. Nothing at all like how she used to be when they were children. “You ok?”

“I’m fine,” he sighed.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure, Morgana,” he gave her a small smile to emphasise his point.

“Ok. Well then,” she removed her hand cleared her throat. “I should be going. Promise to call if you need anything, yes?”

“Yeah, alright,” Arthur waved away her requested half-heartedly, receiving a very intense glare. Maybe she hasn’t changed that much?

Arthur sighed and held out his pinky, “I promise.”

Morgana smiled and locked her pinky in his, memories of their childhood promises flashed behind his eyes.

They said their goodbyes and she was gone to her family.

Arthur was alone...again.

\----

“Oh no,” Merlin tossed his towel down and wagged his long finger in the air. “Not you again.” Arthur chuckled and sat down at the bar in front of Merlin, who promptly snatched the cocktail napkin from the spot. “Out!”

“Relax, Bowtie. I’m not here to drink,” Arthur assured.

“Then why?” Merlin’s free hand unconsciously adjusted his tie.  

“To...look, I was a- a _prat_ ,” Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Merlin narrowed his eyes at Arthur, but said nothing.

“I came here to apologize. For my behavior.”

“Huh,” Merlin stuck out his chin and licked his lips. He eyed Arthur for an uncomfortable amount of seconds. “Alright,” he shrugged and went back to cleaning the bar.

“Well, that was easier than I thought it was going to be.”

Arthur was just going to say his piece and leave, but then Merlin looked up at him with an adorable grin and well, Arthur hadn’t felt this good in a long time. So…

“How about a drink, Bowtie?”

Merlin’s scowl made Arthur laugh. A real laugh, like throw his head back, straight from his belly _laugh_. Merlin laughed along with him, his eyes crinkling at the corners and a big toothy smile. When they sobered, Merlin placed a glass of Coke in front of Arthur.

“On the house,” he winked, then turned his attention to the new comer down the bar.

Arthur sipped his drink and watched Merlin at work. His slim wrists tipping bottles left and right, nimble fingers placing glasses on a try. He was all limbs and angles, but he knew exactly how to move.

Arthur gave an unimpressed shrug when Merlin caught him staring.

\----

Arthur had visited The Avalon every night that week.

He told Merlin about that drunken night. How he came home to a note on the table from his fiancé, saying that she didn’t think she could _handle the stress_ Arthur was dealing with; how she _couldn’t aid him_ in his time of need. That she didn’t feel like they were _compatible_ anymore.

“Fucking shit,” Merlin gaped. He poured Arthur a finger of scotch as a sign of condolences.

“Cheers,” Arthur lifted the glass as Merlin took a swing from the bottle.

And Merlin told Arthur that his uncle owned this classy joint and he was working nights while his best friend and coworker, Gwen, was on maternity leave. That’s when they both realised that it was, indeed, a small world, because Arthur’s mate Lance was married to a Gwen and they were expecting, but Arthur had never been able to meet her because Lance had been in Africa for the past 6 months.

Its funny how the world works sometimes.

\---

“Hello?” Arthur laughed into his phone.

“Arthur?” Morgana asked shakily, Arthur heard her sniffle. He immediately straightened in his seat, holding up a hand to Merlin’s laughter.

“Morgana? What is it? What’s wrong?”

Merlin’s eyes widened at the sound of Arthur's concerned tone. Arthur turned to face the wall and put a hand over his exposed ear. The Avalon was having their annual 1920’s Night and the band was roaring.

Merlin kept a careful eye on Arthur as he manned the bar. He saw his face fall at what Morgana had said, and then harden a second later. His jaw was set tight and his free hand balled into a fist as it fell to his side. When Arthur hung up, his eyes searched for Merlin, who was at his side in three long strides.

\---

Merlin sat in the waiting room as the siblings spoke with the doctor outside Uther’s door. He watched as each slowly deflated at what the doctor was saying.

Apparently, Uther’s illness had taken a turn for the worse. The doctor called saying that tonight might well be his last night.

\---

Time of death, 3.12 a.m.

Leon had shuffled a sobbing Morgana out of the hospital while Arthur filled out paperwork. All the while Merlin was at his side.

When all was done, Merlin took Arthur’s hand in his and lead him to the cabs out front. They said nothing, just stared at the road ahead, holding each other’s hands.

\---

Arthur’s flat was half empty when they arrived.

Arthur stood in the middle of the room, dropped his keys where there used to be a bowl on a table by the couch. She took everything. Only his armchair and a small coffee table remained. He ran into the bedroom. His side of the room was left as it was, but her’s was bare and gone.

A picture of the two of them was tossed on the bed, on the back was a note and a key.

            _I truly am sorry_

_-V_

Everything Arthur had been holding in burst out of him. He screamed, ripping the picture into pieces. He fell onto the mattress and beat the hell out of his pillows, threw them to the floor, cursing. Merlin watched from the door frame, unsure what to do or say.

Arthur was a heaving mess, crouched on the floor at the foot of the bed, and when he reached under and revealed a bottle of whiskey, Merlin kneeled in front of him, took the bottle from his hand and wrapped him in his arms.

Arthur grasped at Merlin’s jacket, instead, pulling him into himself. He spread his legs wider for Merlin to be closer to him and held Merlin tight, nuzzling his face into the crook of Merlin’s neck. Merlin shush him, rocked him back and forth.

When Arthur’s tears stopped, he looked up at Merlin. They stared into each other’s eyes, and slowly, Merlin’s flicked down to Arthur’s parted lips. He leaned down and gently pressed his to Arthur’s, trailing soft kisses to Arthur’s cheeks, his eyes, his nose and back to his mouth. Arthur’s whole body was shaking.

“Let me take care of you, Arthur,” Merlin whispered into his skin. Arthur’s wide eyes fluttered closed as he let out a shaky breath against Merlin mouth.

“Drown in me, instead,” another kiss and Arthur melted in Merlin’s arms.

\---

It was dark out, when Merlin woke. The clock on the nightstand flashed 9.18.

Arthur’s arms hugged Merlin close with the large navy blue duvet pillowed under their heads and wrapped around their bodies. Merlin watched as Arthur slept. He knew it was creepy, but Arthur looked so _peaceful_ with his hair haloed in the moonlight. Merlin hadn’t seen him at such an ease in all their days spent together, so he let Arthur sleep.

Wiggling out of his embrace, Merlin tiptoed to the kitchen to find something for them to eat.

\---

Arthur woke to a crunching sound. He slowly blinked up at Merlin, who smiled down at him through a mouthful of corn flakes.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Merlin greeted softly before slurping the milk from his bowl. He set the empty bowl in front of his crisscrossed legs as Arthur sat up.

“What time is it?” Arthur asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

When Merlin didn’t answer right away, Arthur lowered his hands, only to find Merlin staring at him.

“What?” He asked slowly.

“Nothin,” Merlin said through a crooked smile, then cleared his throat. “S’bout 10.”

Arthur nodded, then realised Merlin meant 10 p.m. This morning’s events came rushing down on him.

“Hey,” Merlin soothed, rubbing Arthur’s shoulder. He gave Merlin a watery smile, then took a deep breath. Merlin pulled Arthur into him, pressing their foreheads together.

“I’m here,” Merlin whispered into his ear. “As long as you need me, I’m here.”

  
End.


End file.
